After talking about his experiences being openly gay in the sports world, Rippon tells us that coming out was "pivotal" to the success he's had as an athlete.

"After I came out was when I had the best years of my career," the figure skater says. "In skating specifically, you have four minutes to prove to the judges — and at the Olympics, to the world — what you're made of, and all of the work that you've put in your whole entire life. And you have that four minutes to go out there and be like, this is why I deserve it. This is why I'm strong. This is what I'm made of. And if you don't really know yourself, you can't really do that."

Rippon also goes on to discuss his thoughts on being a role model and why he's excited to celebrate Pride Month this year.

"I think Pride Month is such a cool time," Rippon says, adding that it's a time to come together within the LGBTQ community. "For me, especially, it's a time for me to really go back and celebrate those people who came before me so that someone like me could now be embraced."